Saturday, February 02, 2013

Jummas in two villages in Matiranga still living in fear and anxiety: UPDF report

JUMMA villagers in Haridhan Mog Para and Hemongo Karbari
Para in Matiranga Upazila of Khagrachri district are still living in fear and
anxiety, says a report released by Khagrachari District unit of the United
Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) today.

The report was made public in a press conference
held at Jumma Contractors Building at Swanirbhor in Khagrachari town.

It said, “On the night of 25 January, the settlers set
fire to two houses, looted and ransacked 34 others and damaged Jitashukha
Buddhist Temple and Buddha statues in the two Jumma villages. The loss of
property estimated at Taka 16,82,000. However, there was no casualty as the
villagers were able to flee their homes before the attack. The BGB personnel remain
deployed day and night, but the villagers continue to live in fear and
anxiety.”

On the origin of the incident, the report said: “According
to local UPDF leaders and others in the area, on 25 January, around 7:45pm, a
group of unidentified gunmen made an attempt to kidnap Abul Hossain, manager of
‘Bhai Bhai Brick Field’ at Bot-toli in Matiranga Sadar. When the brick kiln workers
put up resistance, the gunmen opened fire at them, leaving Farooq Hossain, 19,
a labourer, dead on the spot, and Abul Hossain and Shahajahan wounded.”

Attack
on Jumma villages

“In retaliation, the settlers, armed with sticks,
machetes and other sharp weapons, launched
an attack on Horidhan Mog Para and Hemongo Karbari Para – two Jumma villages,
about 4 kilometers north-east of Matiranga Sadar. The settlers chanted
anti-Jumma slogans while attacking. The villagers fled their homes and took
refuge in the jungle. The attackers ransacked and looted their houses and set
fire to two others. More than one hundred settlers from Bot-toli and Gaji Nagor,
led by a former Matiranga Sadar UP chairman, took part in the attack.” the
report said.

The
role of the government forces

Criticizing the role of the government forces, the
UPDF report stated that, “At the time of the attack army personnel from
Matiranga zone and Bengmara camp were seen behind the settlers. They did
nothing to prevent the settlers. However, after the attack, the next morning, the
BGB built the two burnt-houses anew – in an apparent attempt to destroy any
evidence of arson.”

The settlers burnt down two houses – one in Horidhan
Mogh Para, belonging to Chala Aung Marma, 30, and one in Hemongo Karbari Para,
belonging to Nilomoni Tripura, the report added. “In addition, 29 houses in
Horidhan Mogh Para and 5 in Hemongo Karbari Para were looted and damaged.”

The report quoted Badu Karbari, the chief of
Horidhan Mogh Para village, as saying: “The Bengalis ransacked a Buddhist
temple and damaged the statues of Lord Buddha in our village. They threw the
Buddha images on to the ground and damaged a mike and other articles in the
temple.”

The report termed the compensation paid to the
victims as meager and added: “The Khagrachari District Council provided cash
Taka 10,000 to each victim family, but the amount is minuscule considering the extensive
damage caused. The UPDF’s local unit also distributed relief to the victims,
but the government initiative that is necessary for any adequate compensation
or relief is still absent. To date, no high level government official has
visited the place of occurrence. On 26 January, the local MP went up to
Bot-toli, but did not visit the affected villages.”

The UPDF put forward three recommendations to the
government to prevent recurrence of such violence in the future. These include:
1. An inquiry into the armed attack on Bengali labourers at Bot-toli brick kiln
and the subsequent reprisal attacks on Jumma villages by Bengali settlers, and exemplary
punishment for those to be found responsible for these attacks; 2. adequate
compensation to the victims of the both attacks and arranging medical treatment
for the wounded; and 3. taking effective measures to prevent recurrence of such
violence, including rehabilitation of Bengali settlers in plains land,
formation of a mixed police force with members to be drawn from both Bengali
and Jumma communities and withdrawal of the military.

The press conference was attended, among others, by Riko
Chakma and Ziko Tripura.

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